Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §552, as amended by PL 1981, c. 314 and PL 1999, c. 547, Pt. B, §78 and affected by §80, is further amended to read:

§552. Food or water labeled or advertised as natural

1. Artificial ingredients and pesticides. No food shall Food may not be labeled or advertised as "natural" unless it is free from any artificial flavoring, color additive or chemical preservative or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient added after harvesting.

2. Minimal processing. No food shall Food may not be labeled or advertised as "natural" if it has undergone any processing other than minimal processing.

3. Exemptions. Exempted from the provisions of this section are alcoholic beverages subject to the Federal Alcohol Administration Act of 1935; dietary supplements of vitamins, minerals or protein; and natural flavors and colors approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in food.

4. Natural food symbol. A natural food symbol may be selected and issued under the following provisions.

A. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources may select an appropriate symbol to designate that a food is found by the department to be a natural food. A person wishing to label any food with the symbol shall must first obtain a license from the department. A person shall may not use the symbol for any food that is not natural. A separate license shall must be obtained for each food.

B. The commissioner shall issue a license if he is satisfied that the food proposed to be labeled by the applicant is natural. The commissioner may require a signed affidavit stating the ingredients of the food and may use other methods to determine whether a food is natural. If the commissioner is unable to determine to his the commissioner's satisfaction that a food is natural, he the commissioner is not required to issue a permit.

C. A license is valid for one year and may be renewed. The commissioner may charge a fee for a license, provided that the fee is not greater than the actual cost of administration of a license.